Draft gear



H. C. PRIEBE DRAFT GEAR Feb. 6, 1934.

Filed Oct. 51, 1929 Patented Feb. 6, 1934 v p t v mreo STATES PArENr DRAFT GEAR Herman C. Priebe, Blue Island, Ill.'; Thomas H. Taylor, administrator of said H. C. Priebe, deceased Application ()ctobel'. 31, 1929. Serial No. 403,817 1 Claim. (Cl. 213-33) My invention relates to draft gears for cou- Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2--2 of Fig. 1; pling cars into trains. The invention, in parand Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of .ticular, relates to such a gear that is inclusive ,Fig. 2. of followers arranged in the. line of draft one The center sills 1 and 2 of a car desirably also 6 subject to pulling strains and the other subject constitute the draft sills of the gear. The couto pushing strains, these followers having mopler yoke 3 is disposed between the sills. This tion retarding mechanism therebetween which coupler yoke is of U form with its sides in the is inclusive of intercalated friction producing samev horizontal plane and respectively closely elements which are pressed upon by a spring approached to the center sills. The base of the 10 structure interposed between the intercalated coupler yoke is innermost. The outer end porelements and one of the followers for the purtions of the coupler yoke are formed with elonpose of producing motion retarding friction begated slots 4. The key 5 snugly passes through tween the intercalated elements. Such a gear, a slot formed through the inner end of the couupon which my invention is an improvement, pler stem 6. The slots 4. are longer than the 15 also includes another spring structure'also inwidth of the key to permit inward movement terposed between the followers but pressing upon of the key with respect to the coupler yoke durthe followers without the intermediation of the ing compression, the key engaging and pulling intercalated elements. This latter spring strucupon the coupler yoke when the coupler stem'is ture is desirably placed outside of the center pulled upon. The center sills are provided with 20 sills where there is more room for its accommoslots 7 which are of sumcient length to permit the dation. All of the springs cooperate to retard full ran f V t f the y 5. The outer the approach of either follower toward the other, follower 8 and the inner follower 9 are the main the outer springs being particularly serviceable followers and are provided between the center in spreading the followers apart toward their or draft sills. The outer follower 8 is formed normal or relatively idle positions. The spring with a pin projection 10 which is received within structure, of the prior device, within the space the inner end of the c p Stem between the center sills is inclusive of a relahe m in otion es t g mechanism illustively light spring whose function is to press trated is inclusive of friction producing elements upon one of the intercalated elements to restore and spring means Operating p a e- The 30 it into relation with the follower remote therefriction producing means illustrated is inclusive from. This spring may become broken and in of friction blocks 11, 11' and 11 other friction order that the function performed thereby may b c s alternating With e first e not be lost, I interengage or couple the interfriction blocks 11, 11 have abut g e a t calated element pressed upon thereby with the with the follower 8, these friction blocks also 5 35 latter follower. The invention, therefore, is having wedgin n em nt with this follower.

not to be limited to the employment of this The friction blocks 12 and 12' are of T form, the lighter spring. The spring mechanism upon the pr j c in n s of th T h a s being a ht by exterior of the sills hitherto, on occasion, functhe extension 13 of the follower 9. The springs tioned too rapidly producing what is termed a 16, 16' are interposed between the friction blocks recoil which caused a fluttering of the aforesaid and the follower 9. the e sprin in intercalated element that was hitherto pressed rounded by he low e te sion 13 which is in upon by the lighter spring. This objectionable the orm Of a Sp g barrel. These Sp d action is overcome by providing the aforesaid said friction blocks cooperate to yieldingly opinterengagement between this intercalated elep relative movement of the fOIIOWeTS i- 5 ment and the follower toward which it is pressed tudinally of the gear in response to draft strains.

by the light spring, such interengagement main- S pp motion r i in m ans in the taining this intercalated element in such assoform of springs 17 and 18 are provided upon the ciation with the balance of the intercalated eleexteriors of the sills, these springs pressing upon ments as to produce a motion retarding friction and being pr ssed upo by the Spr eats 19 I I serving to eliminate the fluttering. and 20 which constitute supplemental followers. 10

I will explain my invention more fully by ref- The supplemental followers are brought into aserence to the accompanying drawing in which sembly with the main followers by means of the Fig. 1 is a plan view partially in section illuskeys 22, 23 and 24. The key 22 passes snugly trating a draft gear constructed in accordance through the follower 8 laterally of the gear, this ET 5 with the preferred embodiment of the invention; key being cut by the axis of the gear. The keys 119 23 and 24. snugly pass through lateral enlargements provided at the top and bottom of the spring barrel 13. These latter keys are thus abreast of the motion resisting means 16, 16 of the gear. The assembly of these keys 23 and 24 with the associated supplemental followers is established by means of the yokes 25 which are preferably in the form of vertical rods that are passed downwardly through the keys. 7

The keys viewed from the side of the gear define a triangle whose corners are determined by the three keys. Said keys, by reason of their length and relation, define a triangular pr sm and consequently cooperate to prevent buckling of the springs 16, 16. This feature forms the subject matter of my copending application 333,83! filed June 21, 1929 and while the preferred form of device of'my present invention includes this characteristic, the invention is not to be thus limited.

The friction producing elements 11 and 11 and the follower 8 have interengaging wedging formations which produce friction and which causethese elements to have friction producing engagement with the intercalated elements lz and 12, and'these latter elements with the central intercalated element 11'. In turn the intercalated elements 12 and 12 have friction producing engagement with the intercalated elements 11 and 11 and cause the latter two elements to have friction producing engagementwith said follower. Thev engaging faces of the various intercalated elements are of wedging inclination with the exception of the adjacent faces of the elements 11 and 12', the element 11' being shown as a non-tapered element, the other elements tapered.

The spring 16' is employed to press upon the central element 11 in a direction to restore it to its normal or idle position with respect to the follower 8, but if the spring becomes broken it loses this function. In carrying out one of the objects of my invention I overcome this defect by means of the hooks 8' upon the follower 8 which are loosely received within notches in the central intercalated element 11'. These hooks insure the restoration of the central intercalated element 11 to its normal or idle relation with the follower 8. The interengagement or coupling afforded by the hooks 8' and thenotches in the element 11' that receive them is also of service to retard the restoring action of the springs 17 and.18 and prevent their violent recoil which has hitherto caused the element 11 to flutter. By causing the element 11' to move substantially with the follower 8 friction is caused to arise, in the restoring movement, between this element and the adjacent elements 12 and 12' to slow down the restoring action of the springs 1'7 and 18.

Changes may be made without departing from the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A draft gear including hollow inner and outer followers disposed mouth to mouth, said inner followerbeing in the form of a spring barrel; a member coupled and movingwith the outer follower, said member having a notch therein re- .100 ceiving a hook upon the said follower; a pair of "Wedge shaped members one on each side of the first member coupled and moving with the inner follower; members having friction producing engagement with the outer follower'in 125 a plane oblique to the direction'of movement of the outer follower and with'the wedge shaped members coupled with the inner; follower, said friction producing members enter-ing the barrel for-mingfithe inner follower; a spring bottomed in the inner follower and pressing on said frictionproducing members, and another smaller spring bottomed in the inner follower within the first mentioned spring and pressing upon the member coupled with the outer follower, said member also entering said spring barrel.

HERMAN C. PRIEBE. 

